Oil burner



June 10, 1936. r w, R. K E E 1,762,555

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lili I I I L lfivcnZEI- Z4 n (mam mefez' Patented June 10, 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM RAY KIEFER, OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORTO THE SUNDSTBAND ENGINEERING 00., OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATIONOF ILLINOIS OIL BURNER Application filed November 18, 1926. Serial No.149,042.

. This invention relates to oil burners and particularly to oil burnersof the type in which the combustible mixture is sprayed into acombustion bowl or combustion space. For a disclosure of one form of oilburner of the type just mentioned, reference may be had to Patent No.1,747,333, issued February 18, 1930 to Gustaf David Sundstrand.

The primary object of the invention is to make it possible to locate theignition electrodes out of the path of the spray, this Ohjeet beingattained by providing means to direct a blast ofair to the electrodeswhereby to blow the are into the path of the spray. My improvedconstruction-thus prevents the electrodes from becoming covered with adeposit of carbon.

A further object is to provide means for cooling the ignitiontransformer and for preheating the fuel oil.

Another object is to provide an electric spark ignition system for anoil burner wherein the parts of the ignition system are arranged so asto reduce to the minimum the radio interference caused by the hightension current in the secondary leads of the ignition system.

Further objects and advantages .will become apparent as the descriptionproceeds.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of an apparatus embodying thefeatures of my invention, the view being taken approximately in theplane of dotted line 1-1 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 2 is a view taken in the plane of dotted line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail front view of the plate or casting which closes theopening through which coal is introduced into the ordinary house-heatingfurnace.

The invention will be herein described as it is customarily applied toan ordinary domestic furnace originally intended to burn coal or othersolid fuel, but it will be understood that the invention is not limitedin all its aspects to such use.

As indicated in the Sundstrand Patent No. 1,747 ,333, a combustion bowlis placed within the furnace in or near" the region normally occupied bythe grate bars. Means is provided to supply air under low pressure tosaid bowl to support combustion. Means is also provided to spray acombustible mixture of oil and air into or toward the combustion bowl,said spraying means comprising a nozzle which is supported just insidethe furnace by means of a rectangular plate or casting which issubstituted for the door that normally closes the opening through whichcoal is introduced into the furnace. The plate or casting referred to isshown in Fig. 3 and is designated 1. It is rigidly secured in positionby means of bolts extend ing through openings 2. In said plate is aninspection opening 3 which is normally closed by a hinged door 4.

The nozzle structure comprises a body 5 having a bore 6, the lowerportion of the bore being enlarged to form a chamber 7. To the lowerportion of the body 5 is secured a nozzle or funnel 8 which has ascrew-thread engagement with the lower portion of the walls of thechamber 7. In the inner end of the funnel 8 is a discharge orifice 9.The walls of the bore 6 are screw-threaded to receive an adjusting screw10, the lower end of which is tapered to corres 0nd with the interiortaper of the nozzle 8. The screw 10 is adjusted so as to leave anannular space between the conical end of the screw and the nozzle 8. Anaxial duct 11 extends from one end to the other of the screw 10. Theupper end of the bore 6 is normally closed by means of a screw plug 12,which plug may be removed when it is desirable to adjust the screw 10 orclean out the parts.

Fuel oil under pressure is supplied through a tube 13 which is connectedto the body 5 at 14 and communicates with a passage 15 whichcommunicates with the bore 6 at a oint between the adjusting screw 10and t e screw plug 12.

Compressed air is supplied through a tube 16 which is connected to thebody 5 at 17 and communicates with a passage 18 that extends to thechamber 7.

It will be seen that oil supplied through the pipe 13 will enter thebore 6 and thence fiowthrough the duct 11 and out through the nozzle 8;and that the compressed air admitted through the pipe 16 will flowthrough the annular space between the nozzle 8 and the screw 10 and,mlnglujlg w1th v the oil, will be discharged through orifice 9.

Thenozzle structure just described is supported and protected fromexcessive heat by means including an' air jacket comprising a chamber orwall 19 which is preferably formed integral with the plate 1 andprojects from the inner side of said plate. The outer side of thechamber ,19' is open to the atmosphere, as indicated in Fig. 3. The body5 is adapted to extend into the chamber 19, there being a foundry fitbetween the vertical sides of the body 5 and'the vertical side walls ofsaid chamber. The funnel 8 extends into an opening 20 in the inner lowerportion of the chamber 19. The body 5 is supported within the chamber 19by means of .the funnel 8 and an adjusting screw 21 on which the outerend of the body rests. In adjusting the body 5 so as to discharge thespray at the proper angle, the body fulcrums on the nozzle 8 within theopening 20. After the body 5 has been set in position to direct thespray to the proper point in the combustion bowl (not shown), the body 5is secured in such position by means of a set screw 22 (Fig. 3)extending through a web23 which forms a forward extension of the sidewall of the chamber 19.

As shown in Fig. 1, the nozzle body 5 vdoes not completely fill thechamber 19, there being a space below, behind and above the nozzle bodyso as to permit air to flow by convection from the lower portion of thechamber 19 up and out through the upper, portion thereof. The flow ofair thus obtained serves tense heat within the combustion chamber.

The nozzle structure and the mounting therefor which have been abovedescribed are claimed in the applicants copending application Serial No.282,521 filed June 4, 1928.

Ignition is preferably effected by means of an electric spark. In theembodiment herein shown, I provide terminals 24 fixed to the inner endsof two posts 25, the outer ends of which posts are carried by aporcelain block,

26. Said block is secured in the outer end of a short conduit 27preferably formed integral with the plate 1 and opening upon the innerface of said plate. The porcelain block 26 is held in place bya setscrew 28 (Fig.1).

' and support the terminals so that the inner endsthereof are adjacentto the cone of spray 32 discharged from thenozzle. Air is supplied tothe conduit 27 at a point inwardly of the porcelain block through acondu1t 33. It will be seen that the conduit 27 directs a blast of airalong the terminals 24 so as to lengthen the arc and thus cause it toextend into the cone of spray. While any preferred construction may beemployed, I prefer to use a fan to cause a relatively low-pressure fiowof air through the conduit 33; said conduit may be connected to theconduit that conducts air to the combustion bowl.

For the sake of certainty of ignition, it is preferable that current besup-plied to the terminals 24 continuously during the operation of theburner. By reason of such continuous use the transformer 34 whichsupplies high-tension current to the terminals becomes hot. In order tocool the transformer and preheat the fuel oil, the tube 13 through whichoil is supplied to the nozzle is coiled about the transformer in anysuitable manner, as, for example, as shown at 35 in Fig. 1. The casing36 that contains the transformer coils and the coils of the fuel tube isfilled with an insulating compound (not shown). As indicated in Figs. 1and 3, the transformer is attached to a flange 37 on the conduits 27 and33. 38 are the wires that connect the transformer to the posts 25.

The construction herein disclosed increases efliciency of operation andmakes for durability. The air jacket prevents trouble from clogging ofthe nozzle by burned oil. The nozzle is readily accessible from theoutside of the furnace when adjustment or cleaning becomes desirable.The air blast issuing from the conduit 27 cools the ignition terminalsand renders it possible to locate the terminals outside of the directpath of the spray, thus preventing the terminals from becoming fouledwith carbon. The preheating of the oil increases the combustibility ofthe mixture andmakes possible the use of a heavier grade of oil.

It will'be noted that the fuel nozzle, the ignit'er and the transformerare carried by the plate 1 and fdrm a compact unit. Furthermore, thelocation of the transformer in this position makes possible the use ofshort secondary-leads from the transformer to the ignition device andthus serves to cut down the radio interference induced by the hightension currents in the secondary leads.

It will also be apparentthat when such a construction is used, thesecondary leads from the transformer may be more easily protected so asto prevent the possibility of persons being injured by the high voltagewhich passes through these secondary leads.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an oil burner, a plate adapted to close the fuel opening of afurnace, a fuel nozzle supported by said plate in position to direct aspray of combustlble-mixture downwardly, an igniter supported by saidplate below said nozzle in position to ignite the spray, a transformersupported by said plate adjacent to said igniter, and a fuel supply tubearranged adjacent to said transformer to utilize the heat generated inthe transformer for preheating the oil, said tube being connected tosaid nozzle.

2. In an oil burner, a conduit, an insulating block closing one end ofsaid conduit, posts on said insulating block, terminals carried by saidposts, said posts extending longitudinally within said conduit'andsupporting said terminals beyond the end of the conduit, and a conduitconnected with the first mentioned conduit inwardly of said insulatingblock for causing a flow of air longitudinally of said posts andterminals.

3. In an oil burner, a plate adapted to close the fuel opening of afurnace, a fuel nozzle supported on said plate and directed inwardlythereof, an electric spark igniter supported by said plate adjacent tothe path of a spray of fuel from said nozzle, and a transformer having asecondary coil with leads connected to said igniter, and meanssupporting said transformer on said plate immediately adjacent to saidigniter whereby to minimize the length of the secondary leads betweensaid transformer and said igniter.

4. In an oil burner, a unitary ignition assembly comprising. incombination, a plate adapt-ed to be secured on a furnace wall in closingrelation to an aperture formed therein, a pair of spark terminalsmounted on said plate and projecting inwardly therefrom, a transformerhaving secondary leads connected to said spark terminals, and meanssupporting said transformer on the outer side of said plate adjacent tosaid spark terminals whereby to minimize the length of said secondaryleads.

5. In an oil burner, the combination of a plate adapted to be secured ona furnace Wall in closing relation to an aperture formed therein, a pairof spark terminals mounted on and projecting through said plate, atransformer having secondary leads connected to said spark terminalsoutside of said plate, and v means connected to said plate and arrangedto su port said transformer adjacent to said spar terminals so as tominimize the length of said secondary leads.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM RAY KIEFER.

